Retraction Notice to Induction of G2/M Phase Arrest and Apoptosis by a New Tetrahydroingenol Diterpenoid From Euphorbia Erythradenia Bioss. in Melanoma Cancer Cells(Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy, (2017), 86, C, (334-342), (S075333221632128x), 10.1016/J.Biopha.2016.12.029) Publisher Pubmed

Summary: Why was a cancer study withdrawn? Editors cited suspect Western blot images and unsatisfactory explanations, leaving them unable to trust its findings. #Retraction #ResearchIntegrity

Fallahian F ; Ghanadian M ; Aghaei M ; Zarei S M
Source: Biomedicine and Pharmacotherapy Published:2026

Abstract

This article has been retracted: please see Elsevier Policy on Article Withdrawal (https://www.elsevier.com/locate/withdrawalpolicy). This article has been retracted at the request of the Editor-in-Chief. Concerns were raised by a reader that Western Blot images in Figure 5, A375 and HMCB (both Bax and GAPDH) exhibit a high degree of similarity, despite ostensibly representing distinct cell lines. The Journal asked the Authors for a response, including raw data, in triplicate. The Authors responded, with some data, claiming errors in the placement of images in the figure, requesting a corrigendum. The Authors only provided single replicate images of the Western Blots, but the presence of error bars on the graphs indicated that more than a single replicate was performed. The authors indicated, in the figure captions, that there was an n of 3 for the Western Blots in Fig. 4 and 5, but they only provided a single representative image when asked for the full data set, and one of the images they provided was a duplicate of another image in the same set. Additionally, the authors included graphs of the Western Blot quantification in a requested corrected figure without any mention of the substitution at all in the text of the correction. The authors stated that the effects of DANPT on the expression of apoptosis-related proteins was analyzed by Western Blotting and relative fold change of gene expression in cells measured using Image J software, which was not deemed appropriate by the Editor. The Editor-in-Chief assessed the case, and felt that a corrigendum was not sufficient. No longer having confidence in the findings, the Editor-in-Chief decided to retract. © 2026 Elsevier Masson SAS.